Partners in Law
by bluedarkyugi
Summary: When an old crime partner of Fillmore's turns up and appears to take Ingrid's place she feels left out. But when the girl is framed, Ingrid has to help her prove innocence.
1. An Old Flame Relit

Fillmore – Partners in Law

Act 1 – An Old Flame Relit

"What's with the interest in my life before the safety patrol all of a sudden?" asked Fillmore as he and Ingrid headed to the Safety Patrol HQ. Ingrid had started asking him about the crimes he'd pulled off before he joined the Safety Patrol a lot recently and he wasn't up to telling her all that much, "Most of it's on the files back at HQ anyway."

"I just feel I should know my partner better," replied Ingrid as the pair noticed the door to the HQ ahead, there was a single girl heading towards it from the opposite direction. She had mousy brown hair and a glint in her eyes Ingrid was sure she'd seen before.

"Hello Cornelius," said the girl opening the door to the Safety Patrol HQ for them.

"You know her?" whispered Ingrid to Fillmore as they walked into HQ.

"I'm not sure," came the reply, "Now that you mention it, she does seem familiar."

They headed to their desks but Vallejo yelled them into his office first, they went in and the girl was there as well.

"This is Selena Denuri," introduced Vallejo, "You already know Fillmore, but this is Ingrid Third, his new partner after Wayne left."

"I never saw Wayne to be the sort to leave X," commented the girl as she shook Ingrid's hand. Fillmore on the other hand had a bemused look on his face.

"I did know you right?" he asked.

"Jeez Cornelius," replied Selena, "We were only partners in crime for two years."

"You're a former criminal?" asked Ingrid, "I thought Fillmore was the only one at X."

"At one time I was," replied Selena mournfully, "I got caught carrying some hot stuff for my partner here and took the blame, Wayne gave me the same choice he gave Corny here and I ended up signing up. My parents divorced and I was shipped across state to live with my dad leaving a spot I see my partner, only fitted in to well."

"You didn't do too well catching your partner though," commented Ingrid.

"I did owe him a lot," came the reply, "I allowed him a bit of leeway when it came to smaller things. I personally busted him for some bigger things like test answers but little things he got away with thanks to me. But I always knew Wayne always had his eye on you after I signed up."

"Dawg," came Fillmore's voice through his confusion, "I remember now, we were the best crime team in X, you got busted when we transported stolen goods for that Sharko guy and I just let you take the rap."

"Well here's your chance to turn the tables and make you pair the best Safety Patrol team in X," yelled Vallejo slamming a file on his desk, "Here's a single file of what we have on this Sharko. You want the others just ask, the only thing we don't have is a name and a face."

"How many files are there?" asked Ingrid picking up the file and committing it to her photographic memory.

"Unfortunately we have files dating back to when the Safety Patrol started," replied Vallejo taking a sip from his mug, "We believe the name is passed down from leader to leader but we've never got close."

"Until now," said Tehama walking in with some photos, "These were taken on the fields this morning."

They showed two thugs carrying what looked like computer equipment across the fields.

"This isn't Sharko," said Selena shaking her head, "Sharko likes intelligent people, those two probably can't even count to two."

"Still, I want you and Fillmore investigating this," replied Vallejo, "Third, I'm afraid you're desk jockeying until this is over."

"What?" yelled all three of them together.

"My hands are tied," replied Vallejo, "Folsom wants you two on it, and Ingrid on desk duty."

Vallejo handed Selena her badge and belt and the three walked out of Vallejo's with Ingrid cursing under her breath.

"I can't believe I'm on desk duty!" she yelled as she sat down.

"Nothing we can do about it," replied Fillmore, "Folsom's been on the rampage about a new spa for the staff so we can't afford to trip up."

"She still threatens to move the Safety Patrol to the janitor's closet?" asked a shocked Selena, "I thought she only did that whilst I was on the force."

"About once a week," replied Ingrid.

"Sometimes once a day," laughed Fillmore.

"Glad to see some things don't change," laughed Selena, "Wish I'd got a look at that file though."

"Be glad you didn't," replied Ingrid, "Some of the stuff is insane."

"You two," yelled Tehama, "Your thugs have just been spotted in the science labs."

"On it!" yelled Fillmore as he and Selena ran from the room leaving Ingrid at her desk. She sat down and looked at the papers that were on her desk. They were the case reports from her and Fillmore. How they'd found who was stealing all the library books, the train convention smash-up, Checkmatey's kidnapping. They were all here on her desk for filing. She placed her radio on her desk and stared at it willing Fillmore to call for backup, she knew he probably wouldn't but she wanted to be out there helping. In the most emotion she'd shown since starting at X, a tear fell onto the reports and blotched the ink.

_Science Labs Corridor_

"Freeze, Safety Patrol!" yelled Fillmore and Selena when they caught up with one of the goons. As they expected, he ran down the corridor from the Safety Patrollers.

"Tactic 22!" yelled Selena running the other way.

"Got it!" yelled Fillmore chasing after the goon.

Tactic 22 was an old tactic they'd used to herd kids for lunch money, Fillmore herded the goon towards the main entrance. As the kid ran out he was tripped up by Selena's foot and would have fallen down the stairs if it wasn't for Selena catching him.

"You're going nowhere," she sneered.

"Why would I run from the Great Sharko?" smiled the goon as Fillmore ran out.

"Did he just call you Sharko Sel?" asked Fillmore.

"I am not Sharko Cornelius," replied a shocked Selena, "I don't know where he got the idea."

"Sorry," responded Fillmore, "You know the procedure."

She took off the belt and pulled her badge out of her pocket and handed them to Fillmore.

"You're not running?" asked Fillmore.

"You know me better than that," replied Selena, "Take us both in then."


	2. Framed and Shamed

Fillmore – Partners in Law

Act 2 – Framed and Shamed

_Safety Patrol HQ_

Folsom stood outside the interview room alongside the Safety Patrollers looking in at Selena who was sitting at the table waiting for someone to come in. Folsom was nearly beside herself with the prospect of having the infamous Sharko in safety patrol custody.

"No offence Principle Folsom," responded Fillmore to Folsom's assumption they'd captured Sharko, "But it just doesn't add up."

"What do you mean?" asked Folsom, "We've got him saying that she is Sharko, and she has a rap sheet longer than yours Officer Fillmore."

"That like me she's worked off as a Safety Patroller," replied Fillmore, "She may not have been 100 percent honest when it came to me, but you know all the great stuff she's done for this school."

"As well as the amount she's ran up in bills for the school," replied Folsom, "Between you two I don't know how we still manage to get all the repairs bills paid."

"It was too easy though," replied Fillmore, "He wouldn't have mentioned it by accident because he knew I was right on his tail."

"Fillmore," said Folsom shaking her head, "I don't need you to tell me it was too easy, I don't need you telling me this is the wrong person in here. When she left all evidence shifted to the fact that Sharko was operating outside the school, she's back less than a day and Sharko's operating from inside the school, coincidence, I think not."

"Give me one day," requested Fillmore, "One day and if me and Ingrid can't find anyone else behind this then you can expel Selena from X."

"Fillmore," whispered Ingrid, "Are you sure about this?"

"One day Fillmore," replied Folsom, "This time tomorrow you either hand me proof she is not Sharko and the real Sharko or she gets expelled from X permanently. She spends until then in detention."

"Personally I wouldn't bother," responded Fillmore as he and Ingrid walked out of the door, "You'd need to find her first."

"What?" yelled Folsom turning to look into the now empty interview room, "If I ever get my hands on that girl."

"Did she do that all the time? asked Ingrid as they walked down the corridor.

"I got us in," replied Fillmore, "She made sure we got out."

"About this 24 hour thing," asked Ingrid, "Any ideas about where to start?"

"Yeah," replied Fillmore, "We need to swing by the janitor's closet first though, and then I can track down the person with the most criminal contacts at X."

Ten minutes later carrying a broom and a ladder, Fillmore and Ingrid walked around X banging on the ventilation system with the broom until an audible scuffle was heard. It took Fillmore moments to set up the ladder at the nearest vent and stick his head in. A few moments later, a very dusty Selena climbed down the ladder.

"How did you know I'd be in the vents?" asked Selena as she attempted to dust herself off.

"It was the only part of the school you never let me explore for entry routes," laughed Fillmore, "It was obvious you'd pick it as an escape route."

"You're not stupid enough to attempt to arrest me now," replied Selena, "You know how long I stay in detention. So what do you want?"

"Information," replied Ingrid, "You in touch with your contacts."

"Nope," replied Selena almost laughing, "If I was do you think I'd still be crawling though vents now?"

"Sorry," replied Fillmore, "But if it was a set up then it had to be someone who knew you were back."

"Vallejo and Folsom are the only ones who knew," replied Selena.

"Are you sure there isn't anyone else?" asked Ingrid.

"Only by mum and Annabelle," replied Selena, she looked at Ingrid and said "My sister," in response to the unasked question."

"We'll check out Annabelle," stated Fillmore, "You get back to HQ and into the interview room voluntarily."

"Can't you give me a break Corny," sulked Selena.

"You know I can't Sel," replied Fillmore, "Folsom's going to have all three of us up for expulsion if she finds out we've spoken to you since your escape."

"Right," replied Selena and heading towards the Safety Patrol HQ, "See you two later then."


End file.
